Region served
For a condo in Montréal, the condo fees go into your ratios, and the syndicate’s contingency fund matters to the lender as much as to you.
Borrowing capacity rests on two ratios: what the housing costs against your income, and what all your debts weigh together. In a condo, the condo fees go into the calculation and cut your capacity more than most buyers expect.
Two years of notices of assessment, recent pay stubs, an employment letter and three months of statements for the down payment. For a condo, add the declaration of co-ownership, the syndicate’s budget and the state of the contingency fund. An underfunded one worries the lender as much as it should worry you.
What you plan to do with the property weighs more than its price. Living in it, renting it out or a bit of both changes the down payment required and which lenders will look at a Montréal file.
The paperwork depends on the property: leases and the tax bill for a revenue building, the declaration of co-ownership for a condo, a location certificate every time. If there is work involved, add the quotes and proof of compliance. Ask early, it varies in Montréal.
The appraiser works from recent sales, not from the asking price. Where comparables are thin (a rural sector, an unusual property), the value can land under what you agreed to pay, and you make up the gap in cash.
Municipal and school taxes vary from one municipality to the next, and they count in your ratios. The lender works from the Montréal tax bill, plus heating, insurance and upkeep. Do the same math before it does.
To prepare
Yes. It all runs by phone, email or video call, and documents go through online. We can meet in person, but most files get settled without anyone having to travel.
5% on the first $500,000, then 10% on the portion above. Under 20%, mortgage insurance is added to the loan. In a condo, the condo fees also count in your ratios.
Pick the situation closest to yours.
Contact
Buying, renewing, refinancing, or something a bit out of the ordinary: tell us where you’re at, even if it’s still fuzzy. Mathieu gets back to you with next steps and the documents to pull together.